I love looking out my front window right now: The Japanese maple is in full red orange flare, across the street, frisky deer flirt. It's Fall, and I had to search through last Winter's clothing bin to find matching socks. Out of the 20 socks I found, there were no matches; which prompted me to wonder what pixie made away with the sock mates, or what parallel universe they may be in. Fall can be like that: tricky weather, energy, and even tricky spirits abound. Life is in flux.
In ancient times, the Celts saw October 31/November 1 as the end of Summer, and the beginning of Winter. It's thought that on Samhain (which eventually became All Hallows Eve or Halloween), the veil is thin between the world of the living and the realm of the Dead and so contact and communication with those who've died is easier. For those who have lost loved ones, this can be an opportunity to bring closure to grieving and adjust to their loved ones being on the Other Side.
Over the years, I've heard tales of how people's loved ones have communicated with them: Sightings are one way: white feathers, dragonflies, or certain symbols show up when the loved one wants to say "hello" or "All is well."
There are also sounds or songs that are not only a reminder, but might even be a communique: My dad, being the clever fellow he was in life, communicates through my iPhone. I kid you not. On the day of his passing, I downloaded Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Greatest Hits onto my playlist, and listened to it all day, because when I was a kid, Dad and I loved dancing to the Tijuana Brass. But our favorite song was A Taste of Honey.
Whenever I seem to need a lift, or I'm struggling with a challenge, onto my iPhone pops A Taste of Honey. It plays at random times...even in the middle of the night. Mind you, my dad was not technically inclined--at all. Yet there seems to be no limitations wherever he is.
Fall is a time for reflection and reaching through the veils, so may I suggest that on November 1, you create a private ritual of honoring the thinning of the veils between this world and the next:
1. Take a walk in Nature and feel yourself as part of the Circle of Life.
2. Create an altar of honor: choose heirlooms or pictures or mementos, and arrange with a candle or two. Light the candles and offer prayers of peace.
3. Select a room or part of your home that could use release and renewal: give away what no longer serves you.
4.If you can, build a small bonfire outside and gather with others for a releasing ritual. Write down what you wish to release permanently and throw the releases into the fire. Follow up with hot cider and hugs. :-)
Fall: a time of transition into darker days. Yet it is within the darkness we can truly see our light. It is within that same darkness we may know that endings are also beginnings.
Blessings, Elke